Refrigerators, freezers and refrigerator/freezers are routinely used worldwide in homes and commercial establishments for chilling and preserving food and beverages. Often, cans and bottles of beverages, including soft drinks and alcoholic beverages are placed in a refrigerator prior to consumption for chilling or to maintain a cold temperature. Typically, these cans and bottles are placed loosely on shelves in the refrigerator where they may be accessed by opening the door of the refrigerator. The beverages may be placed individually, in cartons or in serving racks that facilitate the serving of one beverage at a time.
Individuals, and particularly families, may access the refrigerator dozens of times per day in order to obtain a chilled beverage or to supplement the supply of beverages in the refrigerator. While typically being perceived as convenient, this practice requires the opening and closing of the refrigerator door many times per day. This may result in energy usage and wear and tear on the refrigerator that would not result absent the frequent accessing of the refrigerator for beverages. A typical beverage vending machine may provide access to a single chilled beverage without opening a refrigerator door, but requires, among other things, payment for dispensing, is difficult to load and is not typically convenient for use in households as it is expensive and does not alleviate the need for a conventional refrigerator/freezer in the home.